He and a legal representative from the British Medical Association were believed to be attending. They were facing representatives from the hospital trust.

Once the case for both sides has been aired it is expected the trust's chief executive David Loughton will make a decision.

Mr Barros D'Sa has the right of appeal should he be dismissed.

The consultant was suspended from duties at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust in October, 1999, shortly after raising concerns about mortality rates in the bowel surgery department of Walsgrave Hospital.

An independent panel investigated two allegations of serious professional misconduct against the consultant.

It found him guilty of one aspect of one of the allegations, concluding he had "oppressed" a 51-year-old junior doctor.

They said patients were not directly affected by the conduct and recommended Mr Barros D'Sa be reinstated with a first written warning.

The trust did not follow the recommendation and continued with the suspension.